Valve closed metal container



March 6,1934. w R PUNTE 1,950,327

VALVE CLOSED METAL CONTAINER Filed Sept. 13, 1932 Patented Mar. 6,

U ITED STATES. PATENT OFFICE William F.

VALVE I CLOSED METAL CONTAINER Punte, Syracuse. N. Y.. assig'nor to u, Continental Can Company,

Inc., New York,

N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 13, 1932, Serial No. cams? 6 Claims. (01. 220-44) The invention relates to new and useful m provements in a metal container, and more particularly to a container which is provided with an opening through which gas evolving from the food product in the container may escape. In my co-pending application Serial No. 614,993, flled June 2, 1932, I have shown, described and claimed a valve construction for closing the opening through which the gas may escape, which valve is elastic and located wholly outside of the container, and so constructed as to permit the opening of the valve when the gas pressure within the container is above atmospheric pressure An object of the invention is to provide a container with a valve or closing the opening through the container end, which valve isin the form of a cap that is in turn attached to the container end without the use of solder or any securing means requiring heat.

A further object of the invention is to provide a container of the above type wherein the cap carrying the valve disk is secured to the container end by a shaping of the metal of the container end.

In the drawing- Figure l is a vertical sectional view through the upper end of a container having the improvement applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view through the cap to which the valve is attached prior to the attachment of the cap to the container end;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional view through the container end with the valve attached thereto, and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a portion of the container end, and showing one of the gas vents which may be used.

The invention which includes a 45.

at the center of the and the metal in the end shaped by crimping or otherwise, so as to secure the cap to the end. When the cap is in place, the elastic disk contacts with the dome under proper tension so as to close the opening through the end when the 00 pressure wit :1 the container is substantially at through these vents.

Referring more in detail to the drawing, the container consists of a body portion 1 to which an end 2 is secured by double seaming as indicated at 3. It is understood, of course, that the end may be secured in any suitable way to the container b Said end is provided with a centrally disposed depression which-has a vertical wall 4 and a raised dome-shaped central portion 5. 76 There is an opening 6 through this dome-shaped portion of the end. This opening as shown is dome, but it may be otherwise positioned, and more than one opening may be provided, if desired. The downward vertical 80 wall 4 prevents the food products in containers from contact and possible blocking of relief hole 6.

There is a valve for closing the opening which consists of a holding cap '7 and an elastic disk 8. The cap has a depending flange 9 with an ofiset portion 10 against which the elastic disk is placed and the edge portion of the flange is rolled into a our] 11 which grips the disk and firmly presses the same against the shoulder 10. The disk during the curling of the edge portion of the cap is gripped tight by the rolling of the edge portion 01' the cap. The disk, as shown, is impertorate.

The cap is provided with an opening 12 so that the chamber within the cap above the disk is open to the atmosphere. The cap is set so that its top is below the line of the top of the seam, thus avoiding interference with other cans when in piles, in packing or in shipping. The cap afl'ords absolute protection for the valve disk in handling and prevents ingress of foreign matter from above to obstruct its proper functioning. The container end is provided with one or more indentations 13, which extend down along the vertical wall 4. The cap is of a diameter at the flange thereof so as to fit wit the depression in the container end. The vertical wall 4 of the end is subjected to the pressure of a clinching roll or jaws in the region indicated at 14, and. this bends the vertical wall over the shoulder 10 01' the flange 9 sufllciently to firmly hold the cap 110 l container may "necessary in soldering elastic disk when the cap is attached to the end and stretches the disk so that it is held firmly and uniformly invcontact with the outer face of the dome, closing the opening 6. When the gas evolving from the food product within the container is of suflicient pressure to flex the disk and lift it from contact with the dome at the opening therethrough, then the gas will pass freely out through the opening and between the dome and the disk and through the vents 13. Just as soon, however, as the pressure within the container is insuflicient to lift the elastic disk which is continually subjected to'atmospherlc pressure on its outer face, and also elastic pressure, then the opening in the container end is closed.

The valve member is preferably of rubber, and while it is shown as imperforate, it may be otherwise constructed and the gas may be allowed to escape in other ways after it has passed through the opening in the end. The essential features of the invention reside in the elastic disk which is secured to the cap and serves as a closing means for the opening in the end and the crimping or otherwise shaping of the metal in the end or in the cap for the firm connection of the parts so as to hold the disk in contact with the end for the closing of the ope when the cap is secured to the end by a eforming of the metal of one of the members, no heat is required, as is or welding, and therefore, the rubber gasket is not subjected to intense heat during the assembling of the parts and the construction of the container.

It is obvious that changes in the details of construction and the arrangement and location of the parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:-

l. A metal container comprising a body portion, an end secured thereto having a raised portion with an opening located therein, a cap, an elastic disk attached thereto, said cap being secured to said container end by a deforming of the metal of one of the parts and said cap being disposed so that the disk contacts with the raised portion and normally closes the opening, said cap and disk being constructed so that when the disk is raised from contact with the end by the gas pressure from within, said gas will be permitted to escape through the opening in the raised portion.

2. A metal container comprising a body portion, an end secured thereto having a centrally located depression therein, the bottom of said depression having an upwardly raised portion therein, a cap having a flange, an elastic disk secured to the flange of said cap, said cap being disposed within said depression so that said disk contacts with the raised portion in the center pass. The dome contacts with the the outer face of the thereof. the wallof thedepressionbeingbentso as to contact with the cap cap in said depression. e

3. A metal container comprising a body portion, an end secured thereto having a centrally disposed depression, the center of said depression being raised to form a dome having an opening therethrough, a cap having a flange provided with an offset portion forming a shoulder, an elastic disk contacting with saidshoulder, said flange being rolled so as to clamp said disk against the shoulder, said offset portion of the cap being adapted to flt within said depression and cause said disk to contact with said dome and normally close the opening therethrough, and means for securing said cap within said depression.

4. A metal container comprising a body portion, an end secured thereto having a centrally disposed depression, the center of said depression being raised to form a dome having an opening therethrough, a cap having a flange provided with an offset portion forming a shoulder, an

elastic disk contacting with said shoulder, said flange being rolled so as to clamp said disk against the shoulder, said otfset portion of the cap being adapted to flt within said depression and cause said disk to contact with said dome and normally close the opening therethrough, and means for securing said cap within said deprw sion, the wall of said depression having an inandflrmlysecuresaid dentation formed therein extending beneath the curled portion of the cap and providing a vent for a the gas escaping through the opening when the disk is lifted from contact with the dome.

5. A metal container comprising a body portion, an end secured thereto having a centrally disposed depression, the center of said depression being raised to form a dome having an opening therethrough, a cap having a flange provided with an offset portion forming a shoulder, an elastic disk contacting with said shoulder, said flange being rolled so as to clamp said disk against the shoulder, said oifset portion of the cap being adapted to fit within said depression and cause said disk to contact with said dome and normally close the opening therethrough, the wall of said depression being bent inwardly over the shoulder on the cap for securing said cap to the end, the wall of said depression having an indentation formed therein extending beneath the curled portion of the cap and providinga vent for the gas escaping through the opening when the disk is lifted from contact with the dome.

6. A metal container comprising a body portion, an end secured thereto having a raised portion with an opening located therein, a cap shaped to provide a recess in its underface, an elastic disk attached thereto and spanning said recess, said cap being secured to said container end and disposed so that the disk contacts with raised portion and normally closes the opening, said cap and disk being constructed so that when the disk is raised from contact with the end by the gas pressure from within, 

